Cats Need Extras Once More to Top Reno 9-8

RENO, Nev. – Thursday marked another extra-innings game for the Sacramento River Cats, their third in seven games this season, and they walked out victorious in comeback fashion capped off by a solo homer from Heliot Ramos as the deciding run in an 11-inning 9-8 victory over the Reno Aces.

The Aces (2-3) entered the final third of the contest with the advantage, sitting with a 6-3 lead on the strength of a five-run innings in the fifth. Looking to rally late, the River Cats (5-1) scored twice in each the eighth and ninth, which started with a broken-bat double down the right-field line by Jakson Reetz that scored Ramos and Brett Wisely who had both reached with a free pass.

A Tim Tawa double turned into a run for Reno in the home half of the eighth, but Sacramento finally tied the game in the ninth with a pair of runs that was started when David Villar reached and advanced up to second on an error. That put a runner aboard for Ramos, who tripled down the left-field line to score Villar before scoring in the next at-bat on a Blake Sabol RBI single into center.

Though he spent all original nine innings as the second baseman, Donovan Walton (2-0) toed the rubber for the second time in this series after the River Cats had already used six pitchers in the contest. He fired a third consecutive scoreless frame in the 10th before returning in the 11th with the lead.

With their final at-bats, Sacramento took advantage of the free runner as Ismael Munguia swiped third base to put him 90 feet away from home plate with only one out, allowing him to score on a Casey Schmitt sacrifice fly to right.

It took just one more batter for what became the game’s pivotal run, as Ramos delivered in the clutch yet again with a solo homer to right field for the crucial two-run leading moving into the bottom of the 11th.

Reno was able to move the free runner over to third on a groundout and score on a sacrifice fly to center by Kyle Garlick, but Walton continued his magic and closed the game with his first professional strikeout to preserve the 9-8 victory. While he allowed the run, it was unearned to keep his ERA at 0.00 on the young season.

Right-hander Carson Seymour got the start and allowed just one run, and fired off another three unblemished frames that pushed his scoreless stretch to 6.2 innings to begin the season. He even had run support before he took the mound for the first time, as the River Cats scored in their opening at-bats thanks to consecutive two-out doubles by David Villar and Casey Schmitt.

That streak came to an end with the very first batter in the fourth, as Andres Chaparro hit one over the wall in right field on the very first pitch to draw Reno level.

Sacramento countered with their own home run in the top of the fifth after Walton made the Aces pay for a walk to Jakson Reetz, crushing his own first-pitch blast to right field that briefly put the River Cats back in front.

Coming out of a weather delay Sacramento turned to the bullpen, but that was when the Aces made their rally by scoring five times. It was the most runs that the River Cats have allowed in a single inning this season and put them in the position of needing to overcome a three-run deficit.

While Walton collected the win, there was a trio of River Cats that tossed also tossed scoreless frames including Cody Stashak, who went 1.2 innings with three strikeouts. Also keeping Reno off the board was the duo of Randy Rodriguez and Justin Garza, both of whom hurled an inning with a strikeout.

Charged with the loss was Francisco Morales (0-1), his first of the season after he allowed both runs in the 11th for his only inning of work.

For Sacramento, this is the first time that they have started a season 5-1 since 2017, a stretch in which they also played exactly three extra-innings contests.

The River Cats have secured a series split at minimum with the Aces, and will look for their fourth straight win over the Aces when the two teams line up for game four on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.